Box Score MEDFORD - Junior goalie Nik Nugnes made 27 saves as the Tufts University men's hockey team ended an 18-game winless streak against Amherst College with a 4-0 NESCAC victory at Valley Forum on Friday night.
Tufts had not defeated Amherst since February 2005, going 0-17-1 during that stretch before tonight's win. The 2004-05 Tufts team beat the Purple and White 4-3 on February 11 of that season.
The Jumbos picked a great time to end the slump in the series. Both teams entered tonight's game with 15 points in NESCAC play, tying them for sixth place. The Jumbos (10-8-3, 8-6-1 NESCAC) remained in sixth with the win tonight, improving to 17 points. Amherst fell to seventh place at 6-6-3 in the league and 11-6-3 overall.
Winners of three straight, Tufts earned its second shutout in three games and has allowed just two goals in their last four starts (0.50 goals against average).
A brisk first period tonight resulted in no scoring, though there were good chances by both sides. In one sequence at the Tufts end, Amherst's Patrick Daly fired just wide and 10 seconds later Nugnes made a nice stop on an attempt by David White. Amherst starting goalie Connor Girard made the save after the puck bounced out to Jumbo defenseman Matt Pugh for a shot from just beyond the face-off circle.
Tufts would get its game-winning goal just 11 seconds into the second period. Brian Brown fed Anthony Farinacci, whose shot deflected off Girard and then off the post into the goal for a 1-0 Tufts lead.
On multiple occasions in the second, Tufts had players break-in on Girard for scoring opportunities that the Amherst junior squelched. His best save came on a short-handed break-away by Jumbo Patrick Lackey. Girard spralled onto his stomach and made the save with his left pad.
The Jumbos broke it open in the third. After Nugnes shrugged away a challenging shot by Phil Johansson with an upper-arm save, Tufts took a 2-0 lead with a fourth-line goal. Senior captain Mike Leary found classmate Conal Lynch in the face-off circle and his shot beat Girard at 8:04 of the third.
Tufts would go on to score three times in a 2:26 span. Freshman defenseman Jordan Haney exploded into the the Amherst zone down the left side and scored unassisted at 9:28. Junior defenseman Trevor Davis then scored his first career goal with a shot from the right point that Girard never saw until it was up past his left shoulder into the net at 10:30.
Girard was pulled after making 21 saves in the Amherst goal, and senior replacement Adam Ellison made five saves in the final 9:30 of action. The Jumbos out-shot Amherst 30-27.
Tufts won 37 of the 57 face-offs in the game, including a 15-7 mark at the dot posted by freshman Tyler Scroggins. Chris Roll won 10 draws for Amherst.
The Jumbos play their final home game of the regular season tomorrow afternoon versus #9 Hamilton College at 4 pm. Amherst is at Connecticut College on Saturday at 3 pm.
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